Soyako (Bukit Timah)

Soyako is a drink and dessert stall located in Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre. If you looked its signboard and menu carefully, you would have noticed that there were a few unique selling points (USPs) which it was trying to broadcast. 

The USPs are: 

- Freshly Made;

- So Fresh, So Good

- No Preservative & Gypsum Powder added 

- 100% Canada imported superior soya bean

Well, the last USP gave the hint of what this stall sold did it not? This stall specialise in selling soya bean drinks and beancurd. There also sold other items such as grass jelly, peanut soup with rice balls and lime juice. 

I think the big plus point was definitely the fact that their beancurd and soya bean drink were freshly made with no preservatives. 

Menu (price list)

The menu (price list) was clearly displayed.

Beancurd with Peanut (warm) $2

My partner ordered the Beancurd with Peanut (warm) $2. As I did not order this, I did not knew what the stall looks like, neither did I knew about its USP.

To be frank, I was quite surprised that that was such a combination and was puzzled why my partner ordered this. 

Beancurd with Peanut $2

I was blown away when I tried the Beancurd with Peanut. Despite how ordinary and plain it looked, it tasted extraordinary. The texture of the beancurd was so silky, smooth and fine. In addition, it was so soft that it had a melt in the mouth sensation. The peanuts topping were very smooth and soft. Taste wise, it was just right with a strong soya bean flavour and was not too sweet. 

This bowl of Beancurd with Peanut was very well executed. It was just so good that despite how warm the hawker centre was, we still enjoyed this bowl of warm beancurd with peanut! You can literally feel the love and passion put into making this bowl of beancurd. I know this sounds silly, but still I am going to rate this as a die die must try! I can eat this everyday! 

Soyako (Bukit Timah)

#02-166 Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre 

116 Upper Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 588172
Tel: 9733 1107
Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 8am - 10pm
                          Closed on Sun

View FoodieFC's Singapore Food Map in a larger map

Original Sin (Holland Village)

Original Sin is a Mediterranean Vegetarian restaurant located at Chip Bee Gardens less than 2 minutes walk from Holland Village MRT (exit A) station. The restaurant offers both alfresco and indoor (air-conditioned) dining. As we made reservations, we decided to sit indoors as the weather was scorching hot these days. In addition, we did not want to feed the mosquitoes. 

We visited during lunch time on a Saturday. During lunch hours, they had Set Lunch available during lunch hours. The set lunch consist of a Starter (choice of Soup of the Day/Green Salad), Mains and Dessert at $26. All of us ordered the set lunch. 

Minestrone Soup (Soup of the Day)

Most of us including myself ordered chose the Soup of the Day as our Starter. The Soup of the Day was Minestrone Soup. The soup was full of ingredients such as carrot, cabbage, tomato, spaghetti, etc. The soup itself was not well balanced in taste, I felt that it was a tad too sour and something seems to be lacking. 

Green Salad

A friend of mine ordered the Green Salad.

Spaghetti

For mains, I ordered Spaghetti which was cooked with zucchini, olive, cherry tomato, tossed in tomato basil sauce and parmesan cheese. The chef executed this dish quite well. What was lacking was that they could have been more generous with some of the ingredients such as zucchini.  

Tofu Burger

My friend ordered the Tofu Burger which was served with wedges and salad greens. This was a hit among us; in a league of its own. 

Tofu Burger

The Tofu Burger consisting of tofu and lentil pattie was surprisingly tasty. Although the patty was soft and crumbled easily, we love it! The potato wedges which came with potato skin was also nicely done. In addition, the entire dish was not soggy. 

Mediterranean Wrap

The Mediterranean Wrap which was essentially tortilla wrap filled with chickpea and pumpkin spread, grilled eggplant, feta and salad was a dish which most of us did not appreciate. The main reason was because we were not a fan of chickpea which had a unique taste and smell.

Warm Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream

For desserts, we had Warm Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream. The chocolate cake was a tad too dry. The molten dark chocolate that flowed out from the centre of the cake was rich and dense. It was so good that it made the chocolate cake seems inferior.

The set lunch made the meal more affordable compared to the ala carte menu. However, one should still note that even with the set lunch, at $26++, this is not exactly cheap. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable meal.

Original Sin (Holland Village)

Blk 43 #01-62 Jalan Merah Saga Holland Village

Chip Bee Gardens 

Singapore 278115

Tel: 6475 5605

Opening Hours: Daily 1130am - 230pm & 6pm - 1030pm

Website 

.6475 .6475 56055605.6475 5605

View FoodieFC's Singapore Food Map in a larger map

Creamier Ice Cream and Coffee (Toa Payoh Lorong 1)

Creamier Ice Cream and Coffee (Toa Payoh Lorong 1) is a cafe hidden in a corner of one of the oldest HDB estate in Singapore (i.e. Toa Payoh HDB estate)! Homemade (handcrafted) ice cream, coffee and waffles are sold in this cafe. This cafe is located in between Braddell, Toa Payoh and Caldecott MRT stations. The nearest MRT station is Braddell and it is around a 10 minutes walk away from the station.

We (a group of three) visited Creamier Ice Cream and Coffee on a weekday (Friday) at around 215pm. Although I was aware that this cafe was popular and that it was small, I did not expect it to be full house even on a weekday! 

Interesting lights

We tried waiting for a table, but after 15 minutes of wait, we only managed to get a counter table. Well, what to do.... I can't imagine what the crowd would be like on a weekend. 

After securing our seats, we proceeded and place our order. 

After making payment, we were given this paper cup with the number "09" on it. Any guess what it is?

The answer was hidden in the cup. It was the key to our orders. A waiting number!

Belgian waffle with Earl Grey Lavendar and Orange Cranberry Vodka Ice Cream $11.80

After around 10 minutes, we received our food! Needless to say we ordered their signature Belgian waffle with ice cream! From observation, this was the most popular order, every table had at least one of this! 

Belgian waffle with Earl Grey Lavendar and Orange Cranberry Vodka Ice Cream $11.80

We ordered our Belgian Waffle with Earl Grey Lavendar and Orange Cranberry Vodka Ice Cream $11.80. They had a wide variety of ice cream such Sea Salt Gula Melaka, Roasted Pistachio, Banana Chocolate Chip Crumbles and Banana Roasted Pecan. We sampled several of them before settling for the two ice creams.  

The Earl Grey Lavendar ice cream which had a unique lavendar after taste, was fragrant and creamy. The Orange Cranberry Vodka ice cream was a premium ice cream. The combination of orange and cranberry was a perfect match as both flavours complemented each other well and did not overwhelm each other.

For information on the cost/prices: A waffle with ice cream cost $8.50. Extra scoop of ice cream cost $2.50 each. As the Orange Cranberry Vodka was a premium ice cream, there was an extra cost of $0.80 per scoop. 

Belgian waffle with Earl Grey Lavendar and Orange Cranberry Vodka Ice Cream $11.80

The freshly made Belgian Waffles were well executed! They were incredibly crispy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside. The slightly hard (outside), soft (inside) texture, warmth of the waffle couple with the cold ice cream were such a perfect combination.  The addition of the maple syrup and chocolate sauce went very well with this too! 

After trying this, I understand the raves about the dessert served here. The Belgian Waffles with Ice Cream is a must try! But I will not advise coming on a weekend unless you are prepared to wait and squeeze with the crowd. 

Creamier Ice Cream and Coffee (Toa Payoh Lorong 1)

Blk 128 Toa Payoh Lorong 1 

#01-835

Singapore 310128

Tel: 6250 1476

Opening Hours: Fri to Sat 12pm - 11pm

                          Sun to Thur 12pm - 10pm

Website

Facebook

View FoodieFC's Singapore Food Map in a larger map

Luk Chup and Pratunam Morning Market (Thailand, Bangkok)

Ironically, we were at the Pratunam Morning Market shopping for clothes when we spotted a cart selling Luk Chup. Let's start off with the Pratunam Morning Market first shall we? It deserves some air time.

 Pratunam Morning Market (in front of Baiyoke Sky Hotel)

The Pratunam Morning Market opens in the wee hours of the morning from 4am to 9am on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (I am not sure if they open on other days). No I am not joking, they really open at such hours! This morning market consisting of makeshift stalls is located just in front of Baiyoke Sky Hotel stretching all the way to Ratchaprarop road and Indra Sqaure.

Pratunam Morning Market (in front of Baiyoke Sky Hotel)

Many tourists and locals would wake up early and visit this morning market because the clothes are fashionable! In addition, it is a wholesales market and the clothes are incredibly cheap! To get wholesales prices, customers would normally need to purchase 3 or more pieces of clothes from the same stall. It has been said that stall owners in other markets and platinum mall would purchase their clothes from this market. It may be true to a certain extent as we saw many locals purchasing and wheeling away cartons of clothes.

Pratunam Morning Market

We were pleasantly to find a Luk Chup stall in the Pratunam Morning Market. It is difficult to describe the location, please refer to the map below instead. With its bright, attractive and colourful products, this stall stood out among the other stalls.

Lup Chup is a Thai minature fruit shaped dessert made of mung bean, sugar and coconut milk, and kneaded into these cute little fruits. It is then painted in various colours using natural colours (I hope) and dipped in clear gelatin resulting in its glossy and bright exterior. Look at the variety of Lup Chup available. They were in the shape of carrots, chillies, cherries, mangosteens, oranges, mangoes, bananas, watermelon, pears, corns and more!

Luk Chup - 15 pieces for 20 Baht (S$0.83)

At 15 pieces for 20 Baht (S$0.83), these Luk Chup were so much cheaper than those found in the shopping centres. The Lup Chup tasted the same even if a different shape was chose. They are sweet and fragrant. Very addictive dessert / snack. If you are in Thailand, the Lup Chup is a must try!

Luk Chup and Pratunam Morning Market (Thailand, Bangkok)
Near Baiyoke Sky Hotel

View FoodieFC's Thailand Map in a larger map

Mango Tango at Siam Square (Thailand, Bangkok)

Mango Tango is a small dessert shop which specialises in mango desserts (pudding, beverage, ice cream and the Thai classic Mango Stick Rice) tucked away at a corner of Siam Square Soi 5. If you are a fan of Mango or Mango Sticky Rice, look no further. Mango Tango serves the best Mango Sticky Rice! Coming from someone who does not fancy having Mango in Singapore, I think even I can be surprised at myself sometimes. Mango Tango also serves other desserts such as Kiwi, Strawberry, Watermelon and Apple, but the bulk of it's offerings are about Mango. Even if you are someone who does not fancy Mango, it is advisable to give Mango Tango a try.  

Mango Tango

Mango Tango is located next to Hotel Novotel, and is opposite two well-known restaurants; Som Tam Nua (Winner of CNNGo Best Eats in 2010) and Ban Khun Mae! In the above photo, Ban Khun Mae is just across the road. All you need to do is to cross the zebra crossing as shown in the reflection of the photo and that's Ban Khun Mae. 

Som Tam Nua

Som Tam Nua is even nearer, literally 5 seconds away (directly oppsoite Mango Tango - separated by the walkway).

Mango Tango at Siam Square is a tiny with a seating capacity of less than 20. As such, they have several seats outside where customers can sit while queuing. The good news is that the turnover is fast. 

The environment and decoration in Mango Tango is all about mangoes. In Mango Tango, the king of fruits is Durian Mango! 

Menu

Mango Tango's Menu with its prices stated clearly was in the shape of a Mango! 

Mango Fruit Swing 55 Baht (S$2.30)

The Mango Fruit Swing 55 Baht (S$2.30) was refreshing. It was full of rich in (mango) flavour. It was not diluted. The freshness of the mango and the smoothness of this drink transformed something ordinary into something extra-ordinary!

Mango Sticky Rice 2 Fresh Mango 120 Baht (S$5)

Mango Sticky Rice 2 Fresh Mango 120 Baht (S$5)

Mango Sticky Rice 2 Fresh Mango 120 Baht (S$5) consisted of two Mangoes with two scoops of Sticky (glutinous) Rice in the middle. It was obvious that they had taken numerous efforts in the presentation style of this dessert. The two scoops of Sticky Rice were served on banana leave while the two Mangoes were presented in such a unique way that they reminded me of the Esplanade.

The Sticky Rice was superbly executed. The rice was warm, soft, moist and aromatic. The perfectly concocted coconut milk drizzled over the sticky rice made a whole world of difference to the taste. It was so good that it can be eaten alone! Brilliant! The Mangoes were top notch too. Fresh, soft, smooth and sweet without any of the fibrous flesh. Irresitable! This is the best Mango Sticky Rice I have ever had!

Mango Tango + Extra Sticky Rice 145 Baht (S$6.05)

The Mango Tango + Extra Sticky Rice 145 Baht (S$6.05) consisted of Mango, Sticky Rice, Mango Pudding and Mango ice cream. The Mango and Sticky Rice stole the limelight from the other items.

Mango Tango is a die die must try! Their Mango Sticky Rice is the best we had and its worth every single Dollar baht!

Besides Siam Square, Mango Tango can be found at three other locations:
1) JJ Market (Chatuchak Weekend Market): Section 3, door 26th close to Soi 42/3
2) K-Village: B116, 1st floor
3) Chiangmai: Nimmanhaemin Soi 11

Next to this Mango Tango outlet is another gem. This no frills shop with no signboard did not have a name and sold just snacks in takeaway boxes.

Their products include such a pandan kuih, sticky rice, pancake, pancake roll and egg cake which are freshly made on the spot.

If you are attempting to read the words, its upside down =P

The takeaway box.

The Pandan Kuih (Kueh) was very good (ho chiak)! It was sweet and rich in pandan flavour. Texture wise, it was soft and chewy on one side while the other side had a cake/sponge like texture.We also ordered the Sticky Rice Cake, which looked like pancakes. Among the two, the Pandan Kuih was our favourite.

Mango Tango at Siam Square (Thailand, Bangkok)

Siam Square Soi 5

Rama 1 Road

Patumwan District, Bangkok 10330, Thailand

Tel: 66 8161 95504

Opening Hours: 12pm to 10pm

Website

View FoodieFC's Thailand Map in a larger map

Café 2000 Seafood and Barbecue Buffet Dinner (M Hotel)

Café 2000, a restaurant located at M Hotel (Near Tanjong Pagar MRT Station) serves International Buffet Dinner at daily from 6pm to 11pm. On Fridays, Saturdays and Eve of Public Holidays, the restaurant serves Seafood and Barbecue Buffet Dinner.

We visited Café 2000 on a Saturday evening and tried out its Seafood and Barbecue Buffet Dinner. 

When we arrived at 630pm, the restaurant was around 70% full.  The first few rows of the tables near the entrance were not occupied. Whereas those inside the restaurants were all occupied, most probably because everyone wanted to be strategically near the food since it was a buffet.

I was surprised to see so many people at the restaurant as I thought that we were early. The spread available included Cold Seafood, Barbecue, Bread, Soup, Salad, Zi Char (which was the month special), Satay, Sashimi, Sushi, Dessert and Live Cooking Stations. To sum it up, the spread was reasonable, enough to keep me busy eating for 3 hours. 

Cold Seafood

The Cold Seafood Section was impressive. There were Oysters, Prawns, Scallops, Crabs and even Crab Claws! In addition, each of them were fresh. I particularly like the Oysters (plump and juicy), Prawns (sweet and firm) and Crab Claws. It would have been perfect if they were more prompt in refilling the Oysters.

(Clockwise from the top left) BBQ Section: Lamb, Beef, Chicken Wings and Salmon

The Barbecue (BBQ) Section was a unique differentiation that makes Café 2000 stand out compared to most other buffets. There was a variety of raw meat; Lamb, Beef, Chicken Wings and Salmon. 

BBQ Seafood Section

In addition, there were also BBQ seafood section with Jumbo Prawns, Scallops, Crayfish, Fish, and Fish and Squid Otak. All you have to do is to select the raw food you want on a plate, then peg your table clip to the plate. The BBQ food would be cooked and served to your table. 

(Clockwise from the top left) BBQ Meat: Lamb, Beef Chicken Wing and Salmon

BBQ Seafood 

The BBQ food was delish. I was most impressed with the Jumbo Prawns. Look at the size of it. It was fresh and the shells were easily taken out. In addition, the meat was firm. The otahs were quite good too, slightly spicy, there were fish chunks in it.

Scallop Au Gratin

The beautifully cooked Scallop Au Gratin did not disappoint. The warm melted cheese complemented the scallop well. 

Pork Ribs and Bratwurst

Pork Ribs and Bratwurst

The Bratwurst was a tad too salty for our liking. However, the partner loved the Pork Ribs which were folk tender and flavourful. 

Angus Beef

The Chef’s signature Angus Beef. 

The Angus Beef was well executed by the Chef. The natural flavour and juices in the beef was retained. I have seldom been impressed with pizza during a buffet. But Café 2000's thin crust pizza certainly made an impression on me. So much so that I had to tell the partner to try it.

Laksa

There was a live cooking station for the Laksa. All you have to do is to select the noodles and items you want for your Laksa on a plate, then peg your table clip to the plate. The Laksa would be delivered to your table.  There was an extensive variety of items including seafood (squid, prawns, mussel), yong tau foo and quail eggs.

The laksa gravy was fragrant and rich with the right amount of spiciness. It was so delectable that I finished the whole bowl by myself and quite full by the time I finish this.

Royal Chocolate Cake

Desserts

There was a wide variety of Desserts available ranging from Assorted Nonya Kueh, Cakes, Durian Puree, Chocolate Fondue to Shaved Ice. The Durian Puree stood out. Made from fresh durian, it was thick (not diluted) and bittersweet. Durian lovers will definitely love this.

It was a pity, I was just too full and did not manage to try every single items. I did not even manage try the chilli crab!

Although this was a tasting session, I was impressed with the quality of food. The spread was less than Todai Singapore, but Café 2000's quality was way well better (which makes it more value for money). Most people would 'spam' on the Cold Seafood section to make their money worth while. At, Café 2000 beside doing that you can also 'spam' on the BBQ section (Something I would do if I go back again =P). In addition, I would also go for more servings of the Laksa and Anges Beef.

Would I be back? Yes, I can forsee myself going back! I already know what I want to go for when I am back. 

Thank you Lindy for the invite and hosting us.

International Buffet Dinner
Sunday to Thursday from 6pm to 1030pm
 $50++ Adult, $28++ Child

Seafood and BBQ Buffet Dinner 
Friday, Saturday and eve of Public Holidays from 6pm to 1030pm 
$62++ Adult, $32++ Child

Café 2000 (M Hotel)

81 Anson Road, M Hotel

Singapore 079908

Tel: 6500 6112

Opening Hours: Daily from 630am to 11pm

View FoodieFC's Singapore Food Map in a larger map